Feature: Corporate Cards ➔
card charges for GDS bookings will damage the German airline’s relationship with travel buyers because of increased expense and reduced transparency. Determined to halt the spread of the measure, the GBTA will be investigating the detailed implications of Lufthansa’s move, saying it adds considerably more cost and confusion to buyers in the markets affected by the move. But HRG’s Brian Merry does not see UK plc making much of a stand against the charges, let alone discontinuing credit card use for air fares. “Where a company has a corporate card in place, it is so integrated into the corporate process that they will go along with fees,” he believes. Despite the irritating cons, it seems the increasing number of card users will concentrate more on the pros of a payment system which makes day-to-day life at the coalface that little bit easier to handle.
“Where a company has a corporate card in place, it is so inte- grated into the corporate process that they are likely to go along with fees”
CORPORATE CARDS: WHO DOES WHAT
AirPlus International Number of card users: 530,000 Profile: AirPlus specialises in integrated business payment and MIS (management information system) solutions. It claims to help organisations make savings through streamlined processes, its tailor-made products and services simplifying business expense management for over 35,000 customers worldwide. The company’s products include the AirPlus Company Account, a lodge card with central billing for pre-trip expenses; AirPlus Corporate Card, a plastic card to cover expenses incurred during a trip; and AirPlus Information Manager, an online data analysis and management information tool. For the SME: all AirPlus products are suited to small- and medium-size companies.
American Express Number of card users: over seven million corporate card members Profile: A global leader in charge and credit cards, through its Global Corporate Payments group, Amex offers expense management facilities to more than seven million corporate Card members worldwide. For the SME: to help businesses capitalise on company expense spend, American Express this year launched a Corporate Membership Rewards programme. The initiative has been specifically designed to suit mid-sized companies. Companies can redeem these points for savings across three business categories: business products and services, travel and meetings rewards, and flexible savings (credit on their corporate cards statements). Open to all American Express Corporate Card customers using Platinum, Gold and Green Cards, Corporate Membership Rewards provides companies with the opportunity to achieve business-wide savings by accruing reward points on every £1 spent using a corporate card. Every enrolled card earns points for the business, and there are no limits to the number of cards in the programme.
Barclaycard Number of card users: 565,000 customers. Profile: Barclaycard Global Payments Solutions acts as a partner to businesses of all sizes across the UK. It delivers cost savings and efficiency for companies to manage and track cash flow and payments. Barclaycard claims it is driving innovation to create a future where commercial payments are managed in one place, by one system. For businesses turning over more than £5million, the company offers a range of solutions. Its Tracker Solutions allows clients to cost-effectively manage and streamline payment of hotel, airline, meeting and event bookings, while the Lodge Account consolidates all air travel reservations and payments into a single account. For the SME: Two types of card are offered to companies with a turnover of less than £5million: a business credit card with 0% on purchases for three months and 56 days interest-free credit, and a corporate card convenient for travel and entertainment expenses, with a forecast and analysis reporting facility.
Diners Club UK Number of card users: N/A Profile: Established in 1950, Diners Club International launched the first multipurpose charge card in the world. Today, it is a globally recognised brand serving the payment needs of select consumers, offering access to over 400 airport lounges worldwide, and providing corporations and small businesses with a complete array of expense management solutions. It offers Diners Club Corporate Card, with complete flexibility worldwide, and British Airways Diners Club Corporate Card, developed for businesses whose employees travel the world, with complimentary membership of the BA Executive Club. Other products include Diners Club Business Account, for frequent or one-off company expenses, Diners Club travelPASS Account, used to manage and reconcile corporate travel spend, and Diners Club thetrainline, an account facility designed to make buying rail tickets easy.
MasterCard MasterCard does not issue cards directly but to a number of member institutions. Profile: It offers a variety of cards, each suitable for either the larger corporate or the SME. These include MasterCard Business Credit Card, with longer than usual repayment periods, flexible credit limits and detailed statements; Mastercard Business Card, offering improved cash management and simplified administration; and Business Prepaid Solutions, with money loaded on to the card and topped up like a pay-as-you-go mobile phone.
RBS
Profile: The Royal Bank of Scotland is one of the oldest banks in the UK, founded in Edinburgh in 1727. It expanded rapidly in the 20th century through the acquisition of several rivals, including National Westminster. The RBS Corporate Card offers a simple and efficient way for companies to control staff expenditure, and gives employees a flexible way to manage T&E costs. Cards can be personalised in terms of credit limits and usage, while CardsOnLine is a web-based MI tool for controlling and tracking spend.
VISA
Profile: Visa Europe is a membership association of more than 4,000 European banks and payment institutions. As a payment technology business, it provides the brand, systems, services and operating rules that make electronic payments between millions of European consumers, retailers, businesses and governments happen. Visa Commercial cards help to manage and control business-related payments while reducing the time and administration costs involved in traditional paper-based transactions. Visa's cards are designed to suit the needs of small, mid-size and large businesses and are tailored to specific types of payments, including procurement, travel, subsistence and entertainment expenses.
68 I THE BUSINESS TRAVEL MAGAZINE
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96